Comment: More exports, not tariffs, can fix trade imbalance

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By Don Bonker

Don Bonker is a former Democratic congressman from Washington state who served from 1975 to 1989. He wrote this for the Seattle Times.

The Trump administration’s anti-trade actions, intended to radically shake up world trade, may be having unintended consequences.

Is it lowering the trade deficit? No.

Is it bringing manufacturing jobs back to America? No.

Is it helping or hurting the U.S. economy? Look at the facts.

Are we heading for a trade war involving the world’s two largest economies? Yes.

The president has no clue, or is dismissive, of the fact that it is U.S. importers who pay the tariffs, which they must absorb or pass on to the retailers and end-users (manufacturers). Ultimately, it’s something of a 10 to 25 percent tax on U.S. consumers. China’s predictable retaliation has alarmed American producers who are increasingly dependent on foreign markets.

Yes, the trade deficit is an issue and should be addressed, but arbitrarily imposing punishing tariffs on China and our trade partners is not the solution. What is the solution? It’s exporting more, not importing less. Our major competitors — China, Japan, Germany — all have ambitious government programs that give their exporters an advantage in this increasingly competitive global economy. The U.S., by comparison, is so preoccupied with limiting imports that there is little or no attention given to boosting exports.

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https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-more-exports-not-tariffs-can-fix-trade-imbalance/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=2ed813541a-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-2ed813541a-228635337

[SWBTATTReg]

1. I expect that rump's ignorant actions have or will led to less exports being accepted ...

overseas, after all, if we are limiting their exports to us, why should they accept our exports to them? Go figure.